Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat DSD making a return as a download based format?

My own personal view (no inside knowledge) is that Meridian will ultimately bow to market pressure and start to implement the higher resolution formats more widely, even though they (and we) may not believe there will be any worthwhile improvement in sound quality over the 24/96 we have in the later DSPs today. Virtually every modern DAC is now 24/192 capable and many are now accepting even higher sampling rates. It is not a question of what sounds best (a pointless argument in my view as all formats sound amazing if the original recording is well engineered and transferred, a point another member has already made) but more to do with what the competition is offering and what the customer thinks he wants. Marketing hype, if you prefer, but all companies are guilty in this regard and the tide is only flowing in one direction.

In fact, if you look at Meridian�s last three offerings � Explorer, Director and Prime � they are all capable of reading, and playing in native format, music at 192 sample rates. All of these products have received rave reviews, which to my mind counters the challenge that Meridian is failing to innovate. I think this trend will continue regardless of what loyal HH members think or request because the company is trying to reach out to new markets (both demographic and geographic), something it needs to do if it is to reverse the significant losses and development costs it has suffered recently. It will be interesting to see what effective sampling rates will be adopted in Meridian�s latest collaboration in Pono music, and indeed whether this new format will be playable on our Sooloos systems.

I�m not sure there�s much merit in trying to push Meridian down any one particular development path � they will be acutely aware of what they need to do to generate a decent return for their investors (who, after all, ultimately call the shots) and their marketing intelligence will be as good as the rest of the marketplace. However, if there are relatively cheap changes to existing kit that can be made to allow higher resolution music to be played in its native format, it seems somewhat illogical not to make these changes. I am thinking about the 24/192 DACs in the later DSPs and the balanced analogue cards for the 861 � if it really is a simple firmware update that is required why wouldn�t this be implemented, with the option to limit to 24/96 if preferred? It would help the existing customers who want the capability and it might even help sell a few more units to new customers.

Just to add to your list: 861v8 and 818v2 can accept 192 from their USB port too. Their analogue output cards are 192 capable and although the 861 has always processed signals with an extreme bit depth (32-bit if I remember correctly) I suspect that they down-sample these signals to Meridian-standard hi res (88/96) for reprocessing.

I wonder if Edd or OptimusPrime can confirm this?...

HD621 also accepts 192 of course, because it has to. But as is well known, down-samples to Meridian-standard hi-res (88/96) immediately.

I take the opposite view and rather think that YOU would be a fool to spend big on a marketing fashion. What audio signal are you hoping to hear hidden within the signals beyond 192k?

I assume you must mean these as noted above M are already 192 enabled in their latest offerings.

AltusLiceor,

Great post!

I cannot argue with your position although I am convinced that higher resolution, including DSD, offers an advantage in many cases. However, imho, that advantage is a small one compared to the obviously audible advantages of multichannel.

In no way is this meant to be personal but if you have to think about whether the lack of 192KHz matters, you're not really a Meridian customer. The systems will either be sold to the 'faithful' or those so wealthy that it won't matter to them. Much as a GTR in capable hands can outrun a 997 Turbo, the Porsche is bought either by enthusiasts or those who want a fancy toy.

Kal,

I respect your column and have even bought recordings based on your recommendations. But, as I have been in the fortunate position to upgrade to 808.3/808.5, I simply haven't found that to be the case. For me, top quality 2 channel is the benchmark.

That being said, I have bought some great recordings based on your reviews, and I will continue to to read your column with great interest. But once a HD621 is in the loop for multichannel, something gets lost.

And to be clear, I think the HD621 is a great bit of kit in the context of video playback.

Regards
Greg

This was not meant to be a facetious comment. I have been burned in the past spending a fortune on bleeding edge hi rez formats that then just disappeared.

CD is still here; and it sounds amazing and is easy to buy. I still buy hi rez versions of the same albums, but genuinely find the differences subtle.

Is DSD the future? Maybe. But where do I buy it and is it just another remix of Rumors or Dark Side of the Moon.

Regards
Greg

Greg, there are two cable optimizations RJ45/HDMI that really benefit the HD621, you can see them in my sig.

In my system I constantly try pushing both my Sooloos playback aswell as multichannel playback. I've for example all linear PSU's on MC200(SSD) and Gbit router. Mounted Furutech AC-1501 IEC inlet filtered on my Dune HD Base3D (MCH FLAC).

All these things add up and MCH and 2CH can certainly be identical in quality provided the same care and quality is used throughout the system.

Crion,

Thanks for that. My experience has been limited to SACD/DVD-A from an Oppo93 into HD621 then G61R to speakers. I have also played some multichannel FLACs using VLC on a Mac Mini into HD621 then G61R to speakers.

I would expect a big jump in performance between a G61R and an 861v8 but that's not really something I'm planning on doing.

I guess I like the simplicity of 2 channel for music. But it's good to know that Multichannel channel can challenge two channel on a quality level.

Also, for the HDMI cable you use, is that just for the link to the HD621, or do you use it back to the TV? Unfortunately my HDMI cable are currently 5M due to the placement of the HD621, so I fear high cable prices would make the cost crippling!

Cheers
Greg

You will have better results playing MCH FLAC from your Oppo instead of your Mac mini. It's less of a computer

Yes I've gone from G68 (nonSL) to G61R(SL) to 861v6 to 861v8. The jump upto 861v6 and then 861v8 was significant even with DSP speakers.

The HDMI cable is just between source (dune) and HD621. If you have 5m cable I would probably opt for a Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 series. Good quality but doesn't break the bank.

Some interesting comments from Lumagen on HDMI cables on page two of this tech note.